CDL Invalid If Not Put To Use After Graduating CDL School!?

So im graduating CDL school this coming Friday, and a few recruiters came to my school trying to get us right out of school. Most of the recruiters presented their company as the dream job with thousands of dollars and lots of home time, I know this to be mostly BS they just say things to get you to go with them, long story short one of the recruiters told me that IF I didn't put my CDL to use within 30 days of graduating I would become undesirable and unhirable to some companies!? Is this true or just a scare tactic they use to get you to sign onto them ASAP??? The reason I ask this is because I plan on relocating halfway across the country and Im still in the process of looking for a rental property and I know it might take more than 30 days for me to relocate and settle in my new place with my fiance. BTW first post ever go easy on me! Any advice or knowledge will be much appreciated!

Welcome, Ken

There will be a moderator that will post some links for you soon also, but I can't really say if that is true or not, it would seem understandable though.

Even though everything they said sounded like rainbows and unicorns, doesn't mean it was all a lie. You have to do your research and ask the right questions. You've come to the right place to get those things done.

Good Luck to you.

Most carriers that hire inexperienced drivers will hire you in 90 days or less of completing CDL school. After that, most companies cannot hire you because your new skills are quickly lost. My company is one of the rare few that will allow almost one year, depending on the circumstances for the delay.. I had one trainee who hadn't been in a truck in almost 10 months, because of an identity theft situation (DUI on the part of the thief). By the time she was able to get her name cleared all the mega carriers said she'd been out of school too long and wouldn't give her a chance.

So yes, time is of the essence in obtaining that first driving job. We also recommend that you stay with your first Company a minimum of one year, so choose a company that offers what you need as far as type of freight, home time, pet policy, rider policy or whatever it is that you need. Beyond that, the name on the side of the truck really doesn't matter, so this choice shouldn't be that scary.

Make a short list of companies that offers what you need and apply to all of them then select your offer.

Good luck and keep us posted on where you end up.

Ken, your reason for delaying your career is understandable. As you narrow down your company choices, just let them know what you're doing. Like in your employment history, the trucking companies will hire people who have been doing something, not just sitting around waiting for the weather to improve.

You haven't mentioned your thinking on which companies interest you, In that case, you can start with this link, which fires out one application to many companies.

Apply For Truck Driving Jobs

I suppose anything could make you undesirable or unhirable to SOME companies. So technically I can't call that a lie from the recruiter. But he certainly was misleading you. Your CDL will most certainly not be invalid if you don't sign on a line after 30 days...or 300 for that matter. I for example got my first driving job in 2014 almost 4 years after completing school and getting my license. It took very little effort or persuading. I called up one megacarrier....was in orientation a week later. It wasn't because I'm so charming because I'm really not.

The recruiter was not misleading him because I very much doubt any recruiters used the word "invalid". They didn't say your license would be invalid, they said that if you let too much time pass after graduating from school you may find that some companies are not willing to hire you or they may make you go through a bit of extra training first, and that is true.

I plan on relocating halfway across the country and Im still in the process of looking for a rental property and I know it might take more than 30 days for me to relocate and settle in my new place with my fiance

It certainly would have been better to relocate before attending school, but that's not a big deal. I would definitely do everything in your power to get the move done as quickly as possible after school and make sure you let any prospective companies know the plan so they can inform you of their policies.

Bob wrote:

I suppose anything could make you undesirable or unhirable to SOME companies. So technically I can't call that a lie from the recruiter. But he certainly was misleading you. Your CDL will most certainly not be invalid if you don't sign on a line after 30 days...or 300 for that matter. I for example got my first driving job in 2014 almost 4 years after completing school and getting my license. It took very little effort or persuading. I called up one megacarrier....was in orientation a week later. It wasn't because I'm so charming because I'm really not.

Bob the OP never said the recruiter stated his CDL would become "invalid". There is a point here that needs to be understood...

The skills learned in school, any school are bare bones, the minimum required to pass the CDL tests. No more... (I know you realize this Bob, it's for everyone else's edification). Rudimentary, raw, and very basic skills that are only a base needed for moving into road training. The more time that passes, the skills and muscle memory will diminish. I believe there is merit to what the recruiter said. The less time that passes between getting the CDL and entering road training, the better. Skills are sharper, fresh. Confidence possibly greater as well. Wait longer than 6 months with no paid experience and risk the possibility of attending school all over again or at least a refresher course. And there are some companies that may pass on you. Remember this is a competition, best candidates are hired first.

Misleading you say?

So yeah Bob, you went to orientation after years of inactivity and no experience. That's great and definitely a likely scenario with many companies. Please tell the whole story here; you were re-evaluated (tested), likely required to take a refresher course of some sort and definitely road trained for a set period of time before going solo. Some companies will require a repeat of school. If not the case here, consider yourself lucky.

Case in point; when I was in school there was a student who had a valid CDL. After 18 months of hiatus from professional driving, he decided to climb back into the cab. Swift required him to attend and graduate their Driving Academy course before moving onto road training. 3 weeks. Although he breezed through it, he still had to go through the process all over again (sans the state CDL test) and then road-train for 240 hours (the required duration in 2012, now it's 200 hours).

Fact is; even with a valid CDL, if any of us stop driving for 6-12 months it's unlikely to immediately move back into first-seat and/or solo driving without some sort of refresher, an evaluation by the hiring company and possibly additional road training.

Bob the OP never said the recruiter stated his CDL would become "invalid".

It's the title of the post...

Okay, the title,..."it's a question".

In unison; NO is the answer to the subject line question...moving on...

Yes, G-Town, I was road tested at orientation and assigned to a trainer after being hired. Thought that went without saying...drivers fresh out of school aren't just put in a truck and turned loose solo either. I was not required to go through any 'refresher' at a school before hire. My hiring and training process was no more and no less than what the drivers right out of school were required to do.